Internal-combustion engine.



H. I. SAWYER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION HLED FEB. 2. 1918:

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

3 uHEETS-SHEETI FIG. 21

H. l. SAWYER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLiCATlON FILED FEB. 2 I918.

1 %8L669u Patented Get, 15, 1918p.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. I. SAWYER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-2.1918.

Patented. Oct. 15, 1918 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- HOWARD I. SAWYER, 0F POMEROY, WASHINGTON.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Application filed February 2, 1918. Serial No. 215,150.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD I. SAWYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pomeroy, in the county of Garfield and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines. of which the following is a specification.

, The primary obi ect of the invention is the provision of a valveless engine structure especially adaptable to explosive motors an also serviceable in steam and similar engines.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an explosive motor of desirable cycle which does not require the employment of more power and also provldes a noiseless motor of great efficiency, suitable cooling means being arranged and any desired number of cylinders being employed.

It is further contemplated to provide a noiseless motor in which the pistons are never positioned upon a dead center during the operation of the device, while, the motor will operate with equal power, either forward or reverse. It will be understood that any desired number of cylinders maybe employed arranged either opposed upright or of the V-type while the motor may be built in any size and capacity desired.

\Vith these general obiects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood. the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this application, and in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view taken through the device arranged as a two-cycle motor;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal radial sectional view of the piston taken upon line 11-11 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a top plan partially broken away upon of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a'diametric longitudinal sectional View of the piston taken upon line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the device partly shown in section upon line V-V of Fig. 4;

view of the piston line IIIIII valves and consequently has der 12 when the Fig. 6 is a central transverse sectional view taken through the cylinder;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view thereof taken upon line VII-VII of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the cylinder head detached; and

Fig. 9 is a central sectional view through a two-cycle motor embodying the principles of my invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, it will first be noted that the motor broadly consists of a piston 10 slidably arranged to reciprocate within the chamber 11 of a cyl inder or casing 12. opposite heads 13 being arranged forthe cylinder while a shaft 14 is secured through a diametrical central opening 15 of the piston with the opposite end of the shaft projecting outwardly through longitudinal openings 16 in the walls of the cylinder 12.

The cylinder 12 is double walled forming an intervening fluid-receiving space 17 in water-jacketed arrangement. The openings 16 are arranged with sleeves 18 extending between the walls of the cylinder while webs 19 connect the outer wall 20 with the inner wall 21 thereof at spaced intervals adjacent the top and bottom of the cylinder. The cylinder heads 13 are of bowl-shaped arrangement with the bowl portions 22 thereof extending inwardly of the opposite ends of the cylinder 12 towardeach other when the device is assembled with the annular rim 23 of each headseated upon the opposite end of the cylinder 12. Screws 24 are arranged through the heads 13 and threaded into sockets 25 provided in the webs 19 at the end of the. cylinder and whereby the heads 13 are secured in position upon the cylinder closing the opposite ends of the piston chamber 11 and with the inner ends or faces 26 of the heads 13 suitably spaced apart and arranged in parallelism. The heads 13 are double walled having a fluidreceiving space 27 provided between the outer and inner walls 28 and 29 respectively, the spaces 27 of the heads freely communicating with the fluid space 17 of the cylinheads are arranged thereon as best illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Thc'piston 10 is cored out at its opposite ends in substantially hollow formation. the opposite recesses 30 so formed in the piston 10 having the bowl portions 22 of the heads 13 arranged therein while the piston 10 is adapted to reciprocate around the bowl porof the recesses 30 tions 22 within the space formed in the cylinder 12. The solid central portion 31 of the piston 10 and through which the shaft opening 15 extends is between the ends 26 of the cylinder heads 13,the opposite inner faces of'the piston portion 31 eing preferably concaved as at 32.

acking rings 33 are seated within annular grooves 34 in the bowl portion 22 of the heads 13 for tightly fitting within the recesses 30 of the piston 10, thereby forming fluid-tight explosion chambers between the head faces 26 and the piston faces 32, it being understood that the size of these explosion -chambers is constantly changing during the reciprocations of the piston 10 during the operation of the motor. The piston 10 is centrally cutaway as at 35 form- 1ng an annular groove therearound for at fording lightness to the piston while three packing rings 36 are arranged around the.

opposlte end portions of the piston 10 to engage the Wall of the piston chamber 11 during the shiftingl movements of the piston.

airs of gui es 37 are arranged at opposite sides of the cylinder 12 adjacent the openings 16 for slidably arranging crossheads 38 thercbetween to which piston rods 39 may be attached by means of pins 40, the heads being secured to the opposite ends of the shaft 14 by suitable devices such as screws 41 and washers 42. The bottoms 26 of the head bowls 22 have central threaded openings 43 adapted for receiving sparkplugs 44 of any desired construction therein, it being understood that the said plugs are readily positioned and removed through the outer open ends 45 of the said bowls 22. An intake pipe 46 is arranged through the rim 23 of each of the heads 13 communicating with the opposite ends of the piston chamber 11, explosive mixture being adapted for feeding to the pipes 46 from any suitable source such as a carbureter not shown. A U-shaped by-pass 47 is PIOXlded in the inner wall 21 of the casing 12 communicating with the piston chamber 11 upon opposite sides of the chamber and adjacent its opposite ends, the said by-passes 47 being preferably positioned in planes midway be tween the plane of movement of the shaft 14. Oppositely arranged longitudinal inlet conduits 48 are provided in the side walls of the piston 10, the opposite ends of the separate conduits 48 opening at the periphery of the opposite enlarged ends or heads 49 of the piston at points intermediate the two inwardly positioned ones of said packing rings 36. The other ends of the conduits 48 are tapped into the opposite recesses 30 of the piston lO at points 50 adjacent the ends of the piston. Exhaust passages 51 are arranged through one side of the piston 10 with outlet ports 52 in the bottom walls 32 and with the opposite ends of the exhaust passages 51 exhausting as at 53 in the periphery of the piston heads 49 adjacent the opposite ends of the piston 10 and between the outwardly arranged pairs of said packing rings 36.

Exhaust pipes 54 are provided through the sides of the casing 12 spaced apart and arranged substantially upon the planes of the opposite ends of the casing opening 16. During the operation of the device, with the elements arranged as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, explosive mixture is conducted into the lower end ofthe piston chamber 11 by means of the lower inlet pipe 46 so that the downward movement of the piston 10 compresses this explosive mixture until the open lower end 55 of one'of the conduits 48 is brought into registry with the upper outlet end 56 of the lowermost by-pass 47, and at which time the explosive mixture by reason of the pressure under which it is subjected, as well as the continued movement of the piston, forces the mixture through said conduit 48 and into the upper recess or explosion chamber 30 through the gas inlet port 57 therein. The upward movement of the piston 10 compresses this charge within the upper explosion chamber and the s ark from the upper plug 44 being accurately timed to occur at the upward limit of the stroke of the piston, the explosion drives the piston downwardly. The downward movement of the piston brings the outlet end 53 of the upper exhaust opening 51 into registry with the upper exhaust pipe 54 which thereby permits the products of combustion to be exhausted to the atmosphere from the upper explosion chamber.

The operation of intake, explosion and'exhaust at the opposite exploslon chamber is similar to that already described and by' which it will be seen that each stroke of the piston constitutes a charge compressing stroke so that the plugs 44 operate alternately arranging an explosion at each stroke of the piston. In other words, as the central piston portion 31 reaches the limit of its stroke toward one of the plugs 44, the plug will at that time explode the charge, forcing the piston in an opposite direction.

Suitable valves, not shown, are provided in the inlet ipes 46 but the usual valves and valve re s for controlling the incoming mixture and the exhaust are omitted and a compact, strong and silent running motor is the result. The rods 39 may be connected up for driving purposes after the usual manher of a prime mover. Two or more engines may also be employed in tandem with the connecting rods 39 connecting the heads 38 of each motor, providing a continuous drive. An explosion being adapted to occur at each extremity of the piston stroke, the device as shown in Fig. l is in the form of a two-cycle engine while the elimination of one of the plugs would render the same of the twocycle type, and theemployment of the two plugs operating alternately upon every second stroke of the piston would render the device of the four-cycle type.

A modification of the structure is illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings, by means of which the same principles of operation are utilized in a two-cycle engine. A waterjacketed cup-shaped cylinder 58 is provided havin an integral closed end or head 59 provi ed with a spark-plug 60. A bowlshaped head 61 is secured within the op osite end of the cylinder 58 while a cup-s aped piston 62 reciprocates within the chamber 63 of the cylinder 58 and between the spaced walls of the lower compression head 61 and the said cylinder. A packing ring 64 is carried by the head 61 engaging the adjacent inner face of the piston 62, while a plurality of packing rings 65 are arranged upon the opposite or outer face of the piston 62 engaging the inner wall of the cylinder 58.

An intake pipe 66 is arranged through the lower head 61 for supplying explosive mixture to the lower portion 63 of the cylinder chamber 63 whichis arranged beneath the piston 62. The lowering of the piston 62 compresses this charge so admitted through the pipe 66 and forces the same through an angular port 67 in the bottom of the piston 62 for passing through a by-pass 74 in the adjacent wall of the cylinder 58 and thence through a passage 7 5 in the side of the pis ton 62 for communication with a further passage 76 in the upper part of the cylinder wall which communicates with the explosion chamber 63 by means of the port 69. The

explosive mixture is forced into the explosion chamber 63 by the downward stroke of the piston 62 while the charge is compressed upon the upward stroke of the piston, being ignited at the limit of the upward stroke thereof and when the charge is under the reatest degree of compression. It will be noted that the angular port 67 may be. omitted if desired and the by-pass 74 arranged to communicate with the lower end of the chamber 63' and permitting the charge to freely enter the by-pass 74 upon the downward movementof the piston 62.

An exhaust port 70 is arranged through the side of the cylinder 58 adjacent the closed end 71 of the piston when the piston is depressed. The operation of the device will be apparent from this description thereof, the admission of explosive fluid through the pipe 66 into the explosion chamber 63 being apparent, while the charge so admitted'is under compression when the piston 62 is at the upward limit of its stroke. The spark from the plug 60 is timed to occur at such interval, of greatest compression thereby exploding the mixture and forcing the iston 62 downwardly which permits the pro nets of combustion to be exhausted out of the port 70 as the piston approaches its lower limit of movement, the incoming mixture from the ort 69 assisting to force the waste gases ownwardly and outwardly through the port 70. A wrist pin 71 is arranged within the piston 62 having a rod 72 I centrally attached thereto and extending outwardly of the cylinder through an opening 75 73 at the inner end of the bowl-shaped head 61. The power and force of the piston 62 may be utilized in the usual manner through the agency of the piston rod 72.

, What I claim as new is 1. A motor comprising a cylinder, a piston mounted to reciprocate therein having recesses in its opposite ends forming explosion chambers. bowl-shaped heads closing the opposite ends of the cylinder and projecting within said recesses with spark-plug openings atthe inner end of said heads, the said piston being provided with an intake and an exhaust assage for each explosion chamber, the said cylinder having an exhaust port for each exhaust passage, and means adapted for supplying explosive mixture to each of said intake passages.

2. A motor comprising a cylinder, having a fluid-receiving space in the walls thereof, bowl-shaped heads projecting inwardly of the opposite ends of the cylinder with fluid-receiving chambers communicating with those of the cylinder, the said heads having open outer ends and arranged with 100 plug-receiving openings at their inner ends,

a double-headed piston within said cylinder having a recess at each end adapted for receiving the adjacent head, the cylinder being provided with opposite openings, a shaft 1 carried by the piston slidably arranged through said openings, guides upon the cylinder adj acent said openings, heads attached to the opposite ends of the shaft slidably arranged between said guides, piston rods at- 1 tached to said heads, and spark lugs arranged. within the openings at t e inner ends of the heads.

8. A motor comprising a cylinder, having a fluid-receivingspace in the walls there- 115 of, bowl-shaped heads projecting inwardly of the opposite ends of the cylinder with fluid-receiving chambers communicating with those of the cylinder, the said heads having open outer ends and arranged with 120 plug-receiving openings at their inner ends,

-a double-headed piston within said cylinder &

to said heads, spark plugs arranged within the openings at the inner ends of the heads, intake pipes for explosive mixture arranged through said heads adjacent the opposite ends of the piston whereby the mixture is adapted to be compressed at each stroke of the piston, the said piston having intake jacketed heads closing the opposite ends of the cylinder having bowl-shaped portions inwardly projecting therein with sparkplug openings at the inner ends of the heads, exhaust pipes extending through the side of the cylinder, intake pipes for explosive mixture arranged through said heads, and a piston slidably arranged within the cylinder having end recesses for accommodating said heads and arranged with intake conduits and exhaust passages operatively associated and adapted to register with the said by-pass passages and exhaust pipes respectively.

5. A motor comprising a cylinder, a bowlshaped head closing each end of the cylinder and projecting therein, a piston arranged within the cylinder having recesses Within which said heads project, the said piston' having portions arranged between the head and cylinder forming compression chambers within the opposite ends of the cylinders, explosion chambers at the inner ends of said recesses adjacent the center of the piston,

the said piston having exhaust passages opening at the periphery thereof adjacent its opposite ends and at the inner ends of said recesses, exhaust pipes through the cylinder adapted for registry with the said exhaust passages, and means for supplying explosive mixture under pressure to the said recesses.

6. A motor comprising a cylinder, a bowlshaped head closing each end of the cylinder and projecting therein, a piston arranged within the cylinder having recesses Within Which said heads project, the said piston having portions arranged between the head and cylinder forming compression chambers within the opposite ends of the cylinders, explosion chambers at the inner ends of said recesses adjacent the center of the piston, exhausting means for the said explosion chambers, the said piston having inlet conduits for explosive mixture connected between the periphery of the piston adjacent its opposite ends, and the said recesses and inlet pipes for explosive mixture extending through said heads communicating with said compression chambers.

7. A two-cycle motor comprising a waterjacketed cylinder having one end thereof adapted for receiving a spark plug, a bowlshaped head closing the opposite end of the cylinder, a cup-shaped piston within the cylinder adapted for surrounding a portion of the head forming a compression chamber therebetween, an intake pipe through the head communicating With said compression chamber, an angular intake port in the piston, and an intake port in the cylinder adapted to communicate with said angular port and the chamber of the cylinder adja cent the outer end of the latter.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HOWARD I. SAWYER. 

